Bellwethers is a regional juried exhibition of collegiate student art held annually by the University of Tennessee at Martin’s Department of Visual and Theatre Arts in collaboration with the West Tennessee Regional Art Center in Humboldt, Tennessee. Originally known as Artists of the 21st Century, this event was created by UT Martin Professor of Graphic Design Lane Last in 2000 as a way for college art students in the region to see how they measure up against students from other programs under the professional review of an outside juror. In 2018, Artists of the 21st Century was rebranded as Bellwethers. The word bellwether, derived from a Middle English word that referred to a lead sheep in a flock with a bell around its neck, is often used to designate a leader or indicator of trends within a geographic region. In 2024, the UT Martin faculty created the Lane Last Award for Best in Show to honor Professor Last’s many years of support of the department and this exhibition.
Juror
Beth Edwards was born in Alabama and lives and works in Memphis. She received a BFA from the Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia and an MFA from Indiana University. Edwards has had an active 30-year career in painting, exhibiting, and teaching. She taught painting at the University of Memphis for 21 years and is the recipient of many awards, grants, commissions, and residencies. Recent awards and honors include the Distinguished Research Award from The University of Memphis; Arts Accelerator Grant, ArtsMemphis; Alumni Association Distinguished Achievement in the Creative Arts Award, University of Memphis; Emmett O’Ryan Award for Artistic Inspiration from ArtsMemphis; Willow Park Mural, UrbanArt Commission for the City of Memphis; and awarded artist for Memphis in May honoring Sweden in 2013. She has participated in solo and group exhibitions in galleries, museums, institutions, and organizations across the United States, including the Huntsville Museum of Art, Huntsville, AL; the Dixon Gallery and Gardens, Memphis; the Contemporary Art Workshop, Chicago; Union University; Arkansas Art Center; Delta State University; and the San Francisco International Fine Arts Exposition. She is represented by David Lusk Gallery.
Calendar
September 21 - Entry Deadline
October 6 - Notification of Acceptance
October 17 - Deadline of Delivery for Accepted Works
October 21 - Exhibition Opens
November 15 - Closing Reception and Awards (5 PM to 7 PM; Awards at 6:30 PM)
Pickup of work immediately following reception.
November 18-23 - Return of shipped work
Show Prizes
The Lane Last Award for Best in Show - $200
2-D
1st Place - $125
2nd Place - $75
3rd Place - $50
3-D
1st Place - $125
2nd Place - $75
3rd Place - $50
Eligibility
The Bellwethers 2024 exhibition is open to all undergraduate art students enrolled in a visual arts program at two-year or four-year institutions in the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Students who have graduated from one of these programs within the past 6 months are also eligible to submit. Work entered must have been produced during the student’s undergraduate enrollment period, must have been created solely by the artist, and must have been finished within the last two years. Master copies are not eligible for submission. Media may include painting, drawing, sculpture, glass, ceramics, photography, printmaking, digital art, fibers, mixed media, and jewelry. Video art or works requiring electricity and/or technology may be submitted, but any computer or display/projection technology must be provided by the artist and left for the duration of the exhibit. Large sculptures or objects with complicated installations must be self-installed by the artist. Any works requiring additional hanging structures or equipment should not be submitted and cannot be exhibited.
Presentation
Two-dimensional works should be framed or prepared for professional exhibition. Frames must be wired to be installed on the gallery’s hanging system. No nails or screws may be driven into the gallery walls. The gallery has a few typically sized pedestals to be used for three-dimensional works, but any works requiring specifically sized pedestals should be provided by the artist. Works that arrive unprepared for hanging will not be installed. Any questions about framing for display can be sent to Clay Palmer, Gallery and Events Coordinator, at jpalme36@utm.edu.
Entries and Delivery of Accepted Work
Online entries can be completed at the following site: https://forms.gle/Zw4V41GZ6oJoU88H9. Entries are $25 for up to three separate entries and may be paid via this link: https://secure.touchnet.com/C21608_ustores/web/store_main.jsp?STOREID=10&SINGLESTORE=true or by mail with a check, money order, or cashier’s check to
Bellwethers 2024
Department of Visual and Theatre Arts
University of Tennessee at Martin
201 Fine Arts Building
16 Mt. Pelia Road
Martin, TN 38238
Online entry forms, fees, and digital files must be received in completion by September 21st, 2024, to be considered for jurying. All selected artists will be notified by October 6th, 2024, with specific exhibiting and shipping information. Works juried into the exhibition that are either shipped or hand-delivered to the West Tennessee Regional Art Center in Humboldt, TN, must arrive by 4 PM on October 17th, 2024. All work should be labeled on the back with the artist’s full name, title, dimensions, medium, college/program, and year created.
Return of Accepted Work
For those attending the closing reception, work may be picked up immediately following the event. Shipped works must include a prepaid return shipping label. Works with return shipping labels will be repacked and shipped during the week of November 18th through the 23rd, 2024.
Liability
All reasonable care will be given to objects in the possession of the West Tennessee Regional Art Center (WTRAC) and the UT Martin Department of Visual and Theatre Arts. Works are not insured while on exhibition at the Center, and the Department of Visual and Theatre Arts and WTRAC cannot assume responsibility for damage incurred before, after, or during the exhibition, or for possible loss in transit.